How to survive the behavioral interviewing process

My name is Belo Cipriani and I’m the new career blogger at SFGate. Before evolving into a full-time writer, I worked as a Unix Systems Administrator and as a technical recruiter. As the new voice for the Get to Work blog, I plan to not only share innovative ways to job search, but also discuss ways to enhance the work place.

Interviews are tough. Whether they are over the phone or in person, they can easily feel overwhelming. However, they don’t have to be. Here are five tips to surviving the interviewing process.

Interview tip #1: Prepare
More and more organizations are switching to a behavioral interviewing process; they are ditching brain teasers and are now focusing on asking questions that will draw out the person’s behavior. Although knowing exact answers for specific questions is still important, especially for those on the engineering side, employers are more interested in finding out how an applicant would respond in a given scenario.

One of the skills companies are attempting to gauge with behavioral interviewing is leadership. This is why it’s a good idea to go into an interview with a mental list of at least three examples that showcase your ability to lead. Also, a sign of a good leader is someone who can take a step back and let others lead. Make sure your examples are detailed and tie directly to the company’s services or products.

Interview tip #2: Take your time
It’s perfectly fine to take a moment to sip water or take a few breaths. Recruiters and hiring managers are more impressed by well thought out answers than by speedy responses.

Interview tip #3: Be positive
It’s never okay to bad mouth a former colleague or manager. Keep descriptions of people positive and refrain from discussing water cooler politics from past work environments.

Interview tip #4: Be honest
If a question doesn’t make sense, don’t attempt to answer it. Have the interviewer repeat himself or skip the question altogether. Admitting to not knowing something shows good values and often helps the candidate more than hurts them.

Interview tip #5: Push your personality forward
One of the questions interviewers are always asking themselves is: Will I get along with this person? This is why it’s important to show a little of your personality during the interview. An easy way to do this is by asking questions at the end of the meeting. Make sure that some of the questions are relevant to the position, but also make a few fun ones. Ask if there’s a certain type of restaurant nearby and then add how that cuisine is your favorite. You may also discuss the commute and inquire how other people get to the work site. It may feel counter-intuitive to share personal facts about yourself during the interview; however, it’s important for interviewers to walk away knowing something about your personality.

Belo Cipriani is an award-winning author, a spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind and the Writer-in-Residence at Holy Names University. Learn more at BeloCipriani.com.